Vivo V21 5G review: unboxing and first impression after four days of use

Now the first smartphone in the V series, the Vivo V21 5G, has also arrived. It has been available since the beginning of last week for a recommended retail price of 399 euros.
For this price, customers are offered, among other things, a 90 Hertz OLED display, a MediaTek Dimensity 800U, 33 watt Fast Charge and a 44 megapixel front camera with OIS. How the device performs in everyday life and whether it can be recommended for the price offered, you will find out in a few weeks in my detailed review. Now I unpack the smartphone and report on my first impression after a few days of use.
Unboxing
The bluish box makes a very high-quality impression, as is typical for Vivo, and looks quite chic. Only the product name of the smartphone is shown on the front. After removing the cover, the Vivo V21 5G appears, which is still in a film to protect it from scratches. A screen protector is also attached, which is unfortunately not a given. Otherwise, the scope of delivery includes the usual paper stuff, a SIM needle, a transparent protective case, in-ear headphones, an adapter from USB-C to jack, a 33 watt power supply and the matching cable. For 400 euros, the scope of delivery is really impressive. Big praise to Vivo.
- The Vivo V21 5G comes with everything you could want. (Image: TechnikNews)
Vivo V21 5G in the first impression
So far, the Vivo V21 5G has left me with mixed feelings. I'm a huge fan of the matte glass back because it feels extremely comfortable and high-quality, but the manufacturer could have put a little more effort into the front. My problem is not the notch, but the edges around the screen. Xiaomi, OnePlus, Samsung and Co. are one step ahead here.
I like the display much better. It uses a 6,44-inch OLED panel, which has a sufficiently sharp FHD+ resolution and also supports a smooth refresh rate of 90 Hertz. The latter definitely has a positive effect in everyday use. Colors, viewing angles and contrast values have so far been impressive across the board, and the panel can be read well enough even in direct sunlight. I also like the front camera very much so far. What is particularly striking is the high image sharpness, which causes problems for some competitors in this price range. The portrait mode also makes a very good first impression, but for my taste, faces are reproduced too softly despite the filters being deactivated.
Unfortunately, after a few days of use, neither the performance, the vibration motor nor the ultra-wide-angle camera could convince me. In view of the price, I would have expected a little more here.
So far, these have been my first impressions after a few days of everyday use. I can't say too much about the battery life at the moment and I definitely have to take a closer look at the camera. In a few weeks' time, we'll be taking a very close look at all of this and much more in my test report.
- The blue color looks a little different depending on the incidence of light. I definitely like it extremely well. (Image: TechnikNews)
- The edges around the screen could be a bit thinner for 400 euros. (Image: TechnikNews)